Daman and Hera had arrived home just after 9pm and Hera was utterly exhausted. Daman's cousin's had basically grilled her and she was a little annoyed at him for not pitching in and helping her out. However she managed to answer their questions with honesty for the most part.

"I'll order in. What would you like?"

Hera shrugged and dragged her feet up the stairs. All she wanted was a shower and her bed.

Daman looked at her intently as she practically ignored him. "Come down when you're done then."

He sighed and leaned against the counter clenching his jaw. He didn't expect his cousins to interrogate her but he thought she handled it well. Besides, they were his only family who still resided in London.

Once the pizza arrived, he took two plates and 2 ciders placing it out on the balcony dining table. It was a breezy night that was pleasant.

Hera walked down in her robe and immediately tucked into the slice that was already laid out for her and Daman slouched in his chair.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Nope," came Hera's clipped reply.

"Let's talk about it."

Hera took another bite of her pizza and crossed her legs causing her robe to slide of in the most tantalizing manner that had Daman's eyes focused on her thighs.

"My face is up here!"

Daman rolled his eyes at her because she saw him naked, masturbating ferociously, calling out her name and then coming to her images in his head. Granted that any same person would think he was a pervert but it was a strong and genuine attraction that was more than simply lustful on his part yet she made a fuss when he looked at her legs.

The duke crossed his arms and faced the gorgeous woman in front of him. "Let's play a game."

Hera swallowed the last of her pizza and wiped her mouth with a serviette he handed to her. "If it's 20 questions then I'll start."

Daman face twitched into a smirk as she correctly guessed what he was about to offer. A childish game but one that had potential to inform. "Sure."

"You're a dick for not helping me when the 3 of them interrogated me as if I was some criminal trying to steal your throne," Hera said in a strong tone as she glared at the duke. "At least Adam had the decency to pitch in."

Again, Daman looked to the side at the mention of Adam. "That's not a question."

"Fine then," Hera huffed. "I don't know anything about your family. It was stupid of us to ignore this part. I want to know everything."

The duke took a long sip of his cider because he didn't enjoy talking about this. The memories made him slightly queasy. But anything for Hera.

"You already know my grandmother. My father, Prince Ferhan is dead. He died when he was 18 and he had me when he was 18. My mother, Nazmiye who was basically known as Doulah's greatest prostitute is also dead. She had me at 30 and died at 30," Daman said firmly with bitterness lacing his voice. "I'm an only child obviously and long story short, my father and mother were shunned for bringing shame upon the palace. The fact that my prostitute of a mother lured in an 18 year old prince and got pregnant for her own personal gain, and the fact that my idiot of a father started sleeping around with anything at 16..."

Hearing Daman had Hera softening her glare. She definitely did not expect that. "I'm...uhm... I'm sorry to hear that." She said and took Daman's hand on her to provide some comfort. It didn't go unnoticed the resentment that he held in his voice.

"My grandfather passed a very long time ago and then my father tried to run away with my mother 3 months after I was born. Long story short, the car crashed and they died. I don't know shit about my parents except what I just told you. My mother's identity was kept a secret from the citizens so no shame would be cast upon me. So my grandmother was my primary caregiver until her duties started getting more demanding. She never had a say when it came to matters before the passing of my grandfather but I could tell that she still isn't healed from losing her only son."

Hera slid her chair closer to the duke and held his hand tightly. She wasn't sure how to react. If she thought that she had family issues, then he was at a whole other level.

"Zeynab is my dad's cousin's daughter and so is Nilay and Ali. They're my second cousins hence they hold no title to Doulah and opted to stay here in London. They are all younger than me, but it's safe to assume that they are also entitled people."

"Oh most definitely," Hera muttered under her breath. She never ever wanted to see them again. They were like little puppies at first and then turned into viscous Pitbull's.

"Right, My turn," Daman snapped out of the morbid thoughts and faced Hera with a suspicious smile. "Have you slept with Mikael?"

The sip of cider that Hera took immediately flew out her mouth and wet her robe.

"Sorry, what?"

"You heard me," Daman shrugged. "Have you slept with Mikael?"

Hera's face contorted into a confused expression. Why was he even bothered about that? "I don't want to answer that."

Daman leaned forward in his chair and held her chin between his index finger and thumb. He look straight into her eyes and repeated the question much more firmly.

It was rather obnoxious of him to insist on an answer but nevertheless a soft 'no' escaped Hera's lips. "I hadn't gone all the way." It was Hera's instincts that always stopped her and it was done rightfully so. Her intuition guided her well in that aspect. Besides, even at 24 she just wasn't ready and that was okay.

The duke had just won the jackpot. How satisfying to hear Hera say that little no. It was bothersome for him that she was quite hung up over that Mikael. Daman always caught her spacing out at odd moments with a forlorn expression and he could only assume that she was thinking about the past.

All the duke wanted was for Hera to think about him. To crave him just as he did for her. It was official, Hera had cast a spell upon him. One that he had no intention of breaking himself.

"Why in the world would you ask such a thing?" Hera bellowed out in anger. The duke was really testing her patience today. "I don't go around asking you who you've bedded. How inappropriate," she said and turned her face with sass.

Daman only smirked at her. He tenderly placed his fingers on her bare thighs and started dragging them up and down in a zigzag pattern. Hera's creamy skin was driving him insane as he got higher and higher and then dragged his fingers back down again.

Daman went close to Hera's ears in an attempt to whisper to her as if it what he was going to say was the world's top secret.

"You'll be the very first person to properly share a bed with me by the end of this. I can guarantee that much."

It was like lightening struck her and Hera snapped her face 180 degrees to fast at hearing the Duke. "Absolutely no way is any of that true. You cannot be serious."

This was pure joy for Daman as he had these few moments with his qiTa. Her reaction was always something he looked forward to. The duke stopped running his fingers across her thighs and instead he snaked them around her waist pulling her flush again him as they sat. He slowly uncrossed her legs and brought Hera forward on her chair.

"Why would I lie about such a thing?"

Hera was flustered at how close her was and she was chiding herself for enjoying his touch. She couldn't help it that Daman had that effect on her. "B-Because you're a duke..." she retaliated rather weakly.

Daman brought his nose to brush against hers. He loved how her luscious long hair got tangled up against his fingers when he held onto her waist. It smelt so divine when he was this close to her. Perhaps coconuts were his new favourite scent.

"How presumptuous and arrogant of you to base it on my title," he lightly scolded her. "I can't give myself to a person who I don't trust, Hera. Safety is important for me just as much as it is for you, and God knows that I trust you more than anyone right now."

Hera acknowledged what the duke had said and she was flattered that he trusted her. It meant a lot be worth something in his life. Daman had a weird way of making her feel better about herself. "I trust you too." She whispered wholeheartedly and then basically crumbled when his knee went in between her thighs and touched the peak of her heat.

"Daman..." Hera breathily moaned in surprised. She was so aroused. More than she had ever been in her entire life. Daman pressed up against her was something that she didn't know she longed for. His expensive cologne wafted through the air and his beard brushing against her face was driving her crazy.

"Daman stop," Hera said softly and her mouth opened wide with a shocked gasp when his hand left her waist and took a new position on her lower stomach. Tentatively Daman slid his thumb under her nightdress and on top of her parties where her clit that was so sensitive.

He stared at her with desire that was beyond him. Perhaps his boldness was due to the ungodly hour of the night where the world became still but nevertheless he watched Hera's face morph into a pained yet pleasureful expression.

He was only touching her most sensitive spot over her panties while they were seated, he wasn't doing anything else yet her reaction was so intense. "Should I stop?" The duke could see the conflict etched onto Hera's face. He was also at odds with himself until he finally got over it when she caught him in the shower.

God no. Don't stop. Touch me more! Hera dreamed of saying but she couldn't. "Yes. Stop. This is wrong."

The duke wasn't one to do anything against her wishes therefore her pulled his hand away and shifted his chair back to create some distance but only after he pulled her nightdress down and tied her robe tightly covering her up fully.

"You turn." He said ever so casually and stretched out his long legs in front of him.

"Huh?" Hera was so flustered her brain was foggy. She looked at the duke quizzically trying to contain the urge from in between her legs.

"It's your turn to ask me a question," Daman replied with a proud look on his face. Oh she was so bothered and he loved every bit of it.

Hera cleared her throat and crossed her legs once again, but this time much more tightly. "What's your uhm... favourite book?"